Norcross: It's time for A.J. Smith to go

How appropriate that the U-T’s next day Bolts headline reads: CHARGERS REPLAY. Because aren’t all these losses déjà vu? Battle, build lead, blow lead in fourth quarter, walk to tunnel with face buried in chest.

This Just In, though, takes a glass-half-full approach. In all seriousness, this is one of the most fascinating times in the franchise’s 53-season history.

Norv,
we know, is a Dead Man Walking. Nice gentleman, good offensive coordinator, mediocre, at best, head coach. So
Norval Eugene Turner
will be calling first-and-10 runs up the middle elsewhere next season.

But what about
A.J. “Lord of No Rings” Smith?
(Nickname stolen from U-T columnist
Jay Paris.) Dean Spanos
can’t possibly be leaning toward Nick Canepa’s warped logic and be thinking of bringing A.J. back, can he?

A.J.’s signature worst decision was hiring Turner to replace
Marty Schottenheimer
after the 14-2 season in 2006, a season lowlighted by the Bolts’ 24-21 divisional loss to New England and Patriots players stomping on the Chargers midfield logo.

Firing Marty was a questionable, at best, decision. Replacing him with Turner only exacerbated the move. The perception is that A.J. hired Turner because he came with strings attached, strings A.J. pulled, making Norv his marionette.

If Norv were such a fantastic head-coaching find, why didn’t Dallas owner
Jerry Jones
hire him in 2007? Turner was the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator from 1991-93, including Super Bowl titles the last two seasons. Jones knew Turner well, knew he was 58-82-1 in Washington and Oakland , and passed, opting for
Wade Phillips.
A.J. tabbed Norv, and the rest is Chargers history spiraling downward.

Since 2008, the Chargers have posted one playoff victory. Barring a comeback of biblical proportions, the Bolts will miss the playoffs for the third straight season and suffer their first losing season since 2003.

A.J., not Norv, deserves the most blame for the collapse. A.J. could have been bold and traded
LaDainianTomlinson
after the 2007 season and kept
Michael Turner.
But no, he played it safe, losing Turner. Turner rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 TDs in ’08 while LT’s slide began.

A.J. let
Darren Sproles
go, a disastrous mistake. He played hardball with
Vincent Jackson
and
Marcus McNeill,
wasting the chance to sign V.J. when he would have been much cheaper than when he hit free agency.

For years, A.J. ignored the offensive line in the draft, a strange decision with $92 million invested in
Philip Rivers,
a decision he rued with career-ending injuries to McNeill and
Kris Dielman.

His recent drafts have been more flops than finds. He emphasized free agency this year and hasn’t that worked out splendidly?
Meachem
and
Royal?
Please.

But wait, maybe A.J. can convince his buddy
Jon Gruden
to coach the Bolts? Sure. Spanos is going to pay the going rate for an in-demand head coach about the time Rivers wins Olympic gold in the 400 meters.

Which leads to why this is a fascinating stage in Chargers history. With wisdom, Spanos eats the last two years of A.J.’s contract and lets the rebuilding begin.